I never had much interest in politics. I was apathetic to the idea as a whole. I was one of those people who never thought about voting because I thought my vote wouldn't matter. That's no reason to just act like politics aren't real, and aren't affecting everyone and everything around me. It only recently occurred to me that if I have interests in politics, which I do, then it is my duty and responsibility to be active and to be an influence to make the changes that I feel are needed.
That being said this article is not about picking sides, it's about how you form your own platform and become an influence. I cannot explain how to do this for both sides of the political spectrum because both sides have different values and issues they deem relevant. So I will now explain my political views and why I stand where I stand in the hopes that it can make someone else realize their vote matters and their opinions are important.
I believe in universal healthcare. Healthcare should not be a reward or a special service provided only for those who can afford it. I get that treatments can get expensive, but cancer doesn't look at your income before it decides to destroy your body and eventually kill you. This leads into my views on a staggered tax bracket system. If you have more, then you can and should give more. Yes this is still done in a flat tax but you need to break the numbers down into fathomable amounts to understand. If someone make $10 a year and they pay 25% in taxes they end up with $7.50, but if someone makes $100 a year and they pay the same tax rate they end up with $75, and that just is not fair when you have to account for standards of living and other various expenditures that are necessary. That seems extreme, but that ratio is not made up.
I also believe in equal rights for ALL with no exceptions, and I am pro-choice. Honestly, why should a man tell a woman that she cannot make a decision regarding her own health? If it's against YOUR religion then YOU don't do it. It's not rocket science, it's common sense and nobody is making it a necessity or a requirement, but it's having the option available for scenarios where the woman or in some cases the woman and the man involved deem it necessary. As for the equal rights... Why should I explain why I think same sex marriage should be legal? If it's against your religion then you don't have to marry someone of the same sex, but separation of church and state applies to civil rights. It's the same as abortion, you don't have to do it if you don't want to.
As for the second amendment, I am for gun control, but contrary to common belief that doesn't mean I want the second amendment to be tarnished and trashed. I want the second amendment to be upheld and maintained but controlled. The amount of mass shootings we witness every year is unfathomable and so horrendous I cannot see how the thought of taking action to control this phenomenon is not more common.
I also believe that the federal prohibition on marijuana should be lifted. Make it legal, regulate it, tax the life out of it and make a profit. If you really care enough to be against the legalization, then take the time to do unbiased research. You will be more than surprised at what you don't now about the plant, or what you thought you knew, was just drug war propaganda.
Now to reiterate why I wrote this piece explaining my beliefs... Politics are a necessity. It affects more than just you. Voting is your duty and your responsibility as an American citizen. Not voting is detrimental to your cause. You can claim to not care all you want but in reading this you either agreed with me or disagreed or wanted to punch me in the face, but that's politics and we need to understand that participation is everything. If less than a third of the voting population votes for president, how can you say they represent the majority?
